Chapter 53

Rylie's and Brad's faces drew so near that their cheeks brushed, breaths mingling in the hush between them.When their eyes met, she caught an unshakeable steadiness in his gaze - a cool assurance that revealed he'd already guessed about the assassins.Not a flicker of surprise touched his face.

Letting her hand drop, Rylie spoke. "You already knew."

Brad,still slightly hunched from her tug, kept his voice level. "That's just a soldier's instinct. But you, Dr.Owen, I'd say you're just as sharp. Did the Kirk brothers drill this into you, or is it all you?"

Rylie's tension melted as she realized that he truly had everything under control. "My family never taught me a thing. All of this is simply my own nature-sharp-eyed since birth."

Brad's mouth curved into a half-smile as he looked down at her. "No one's ever doubted your brilliance.And I noticed your concern for me, that's why you rushed in despite the risk."

Her eyebrow arched, Rylie studied his strikingly handsome features and, on a whim, reached out and pinched his chin.

Had there been any witnesses in the room, they'd have been startled by her audacity.

Rylie was testing the limits between them.

Though Brad stayed still, the subtle tension in his frame betrayed a side rarely seen beneath his composed exterior.

He asked softly, "Did I guess wrong?”

With her thumb idly tracing the line of his jaw, Rylie answered in a cool, quiet voice, "Given your health and position, you really have no business at these tiresome, low-rent charity galas. Why would the famous admiral suddenly take an interest in jewelry for debutantes?"

She stopped, her eyes lifting to meet his."Brad,you're here for me, aren't you?"

All traces of distant formality had vanished from her voice - what remained was a playful, grown-up boldness.

Before he could answer, the door swung open.

Brock entered,hauling a corpse, and said, "Mr. Morgan,it's done..."

Brock's words died in his throat, eyes going round with shock. He'd been busy clearing the grounds of assassins - only to return and find Rylie pinching Brad's chin, lost in a charged moment together.

When Rylie glanced over her shoulder, Brad's gaze trailed after her. Brock took the cue to beat a quick retreat, backing out and stammering, "Sorry, sorry, I'll let you two carry on!"

The door swung shut behind him.

Rylie let go of Brad's chin and stepped back, her subtle fragrance slipping away, leaving Brad with a faint sense of loss that he didn't care to admit.

"Looks like your people have things under control,"she remarked, already moving for the door. "I'll head out now."

Brad straightened, smoothing his jacket before following her to the exit. "Let me walk you out. The rest of this auction isn't worth sticking around for.The real entertainment's over."

Rylie slipped out the door, passing Brockas he quietly dealt with the last of the clean-up-his practiced efficiency clear in every move. There must have been no shortage of people hoping for Brad's demise.

She didn't bother asking who had put out the latest hit. Still, as they descended the stairs together, Brad offered the explanation with the casual air of someone chatting about the weather. "There's been a recent oil discovery just offshore. Owhea wants in,so their navy's been running exercises close by."

Rylie's brow creased as she recalled the headline. "I remember seeing something about that. Didn't our fleet run drills as well?"

Brad let out a quiet laugh, adjusting his cufflinks."That was my command."

His tone shifted, a cold edge sharpening his words."One of Owhea's surveillance planes wandered too close and got shot down. They've been seething about it ever since."

Rylie arched a brow, her curiosity piqued. "So these assassins were sent by Owhea?"

"Odds are high their intelligence service is behind this,"Brad replied evenly, as if he were reciting stock prices."They're fond of shadow games like this."

Thinking back over Brad's headline-making career,Rylie chuckled. "You've eliminated more than a few of their operatives since you took command-and you manage to do it all in the name of duty. Not much they can say about it, can they?"

Catching sight of her laughter, Brad found himself distracted. Her smile had a way of outshining everything around her.

Noticing his lingering look, Rylie touched her cheek in confusion. "What is it?"

Brad halted beside her, then reached up to gently remove a fallen blossom from her hair. "Just the wind,"he murmured.

Rylie faltered for half a second,awkwardly lowering her hand. "Thanks."

The two stepped out into the corridor. The suspicious waiter she'd clocked earlier had long since vanished.

Meanwhile, inside the hall, Paola scoured the crowd for Rylie. She finally caught a glimpse of her leaving through a side door, accompanied by a tall man she didn't recognize.Who could he be?

Paola turned to Johnny, who was already rising from his seat, clearly bored. "If Miss Owen has lost interest in the jewelry, then it really must be dull tonight. Paola,I'm heading out."

Quick to react, Paola stood as well and whispered, "I just spotted Rylie leaving with a gentleman. No sense staying here either. Johnny, mind giving me a lift?"

Johnny raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you come with your driver? Wasn't it your delay with the car that made Rylie late to begin with?"

Johnny's bluntness caught Paola off guard, making her look down in embarrassment. "I wasn't trying to make things difficult. Are you blaming me too?"

Johnny shook his head. "That's not it. Just a reminder to be considerate next time. Working late isn't an excuse to keep people waiting." He saw straight through Paola's intentions - she was never just thoughtless.

Clearly uninterested in further entanglement,Johnny simply said, "I'm heading out."

The whole evening had left Paola simmering with frustration. Not only had she failed to embarrass Rylie,but she also became the one to be humiliated in front of every guest.

Back in her room, she flung her pillow onto the bed and exclaimed, "She's so infuriating! Always playing the innocent, and everyone falls for it. How does she manage to show up and eclipse me every single time?"Percy stood by the door, watching his sister's wounded pride with a troubled frown, his own sense of injustice growing on her behalf...